Freshman Dilemmas
by windsworn
Summary: Miroku and Sango team up at college to get her sister Kagome a new boyfriend i.e. a distraction from Inuyasha. But the plan backfires on Sango when love plays a role in negotiations. Read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**Freshman Dilemmas**

Summary: Sango is faced with a dilemma between the loyalty to her sister and her heart when she falls in love with Kagome's new boyfriend.

a/n: this actually came from an extended dream I had about some quite different characters.

Characters: Sango, Kagome, Miroku, Inuyasha, Kikyo, and a couple of fictional people I added into the mix to make it all the more exciting!

Pairings: SxM, KaxI, KixI

Disclaimer: Yadayadayada…I don't own any of the characters from Inuyasha. Lo and behold, they all belong to Ms. Rumiko Takahashi – although we do all appreciate her work…and Sesshoumaru…but that's a whole new disclaimer -

**Chapter One**

"What does she need with all this stuff for a tiny dorm room anyway?" Sango muttered to herself as she dropped, unceremoniously, another box full of miscellaneous items onto the floor of the cramped double room. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she took a look around the small space her sister would call home for the next year.

"I haven't seen my own dorm yet, but please God, don't let it be this bad." She murmured a prayer as she shook her head. Bare white brick walls, two bare double beds stacked against those walls, and a combination desk/wardrobe against another wall was what made up the pricy room in the all-women's dorm. Sango could only be grateful that this was not her college.

"Come on, sis, stop hanging around, doing nothing. We need to get the rest of my stuff out before orientation starts." Kagome entered the room, arms full of blankets and bedding. Her addition made the room claustrophobic. Sango decided to follow her order and head back to the car.

The sun beat down heavily on the dark haired girl as she left the Madonna Hall building. She watched, amusedly, the many girls that hurried to unload from their cars to move-in. Sango was still a bit surprised on her sister's proud decision to enter an all women's college. She could still remember the night at dinner that April when Kagome had said aloud, as conversation died down between their parents, that she had accepted the offer to attend St. Joseph College in quiet Connecticut.

Their parents had been thrilled. Not only was their adopted child going to college, she was also protecting herself from evil men by attending an all female school. They had almost seemed to expect Sango to do the same.

Sango laughed to herself, recalling the later conversation with her mother at the kitchen table:

_"Don't you think it's a good idea? That way she can concentrate on her studies, and not be distracted by boyfriends and such nonsense."_

_Sango had shrugged, concentrating more on the computer screen and an online chat._

"_Yeah, good for her. She's probably just doing it though to get away from Inuyasha. She never did get over him after they broke up last year." _

_"I don't know why she went out in the first place. Really, a boyfriend at seventeen. I know we adopted her rather late in the process – you can't do to much to a thirteen year old – but I at least thought we gave her better training than to chase boys."_

_"Maybe that's why she's going to St. Joseph." Sango didn't bother to add 'because it would make you happy.'_

_Silence then, broken only by the intermittent sounds of typing, as Sango responded to a message on her laptop, and the sounds of dishes clattering while being washed in the sink._

_"You haven't written back a letter to Yale, have you? Saying that you'll attend – " Mom kept her voice casual, but it was obvious she was hinting something._

_"Of course I did, months ago. As soon as they accepted me, Early Action. We both know that Yale was my choice from the start. Mom-"Sango turned around to see her mom worrying at the sink._

_"Don't you think you'll be distracted too? All those men there; you're so young…"_

_"I'll be fine. I don't plan on dating under after medical school anyway. You know that, mom." Sango returned to her online conversation._

_"That's what you say now, but by this time next year, you'll be wishing you were in the same school as your sister, Kagome."_

'No way am I wishing that.' Sango thought cheerfully to herself, nodding as she passed harried moms and daughters bustling boxes and furniture up the sidewalk. Tomorrow she would have to do the same at Yale.

'Except there'll be men there. I wonder if I'll be able to get some handsome strapping athletic young man to – ' her thoughts trailed off in her mind as she reached the back of her sister's car. Parked opposite to Kagome's Ford Taurus was the said young man. He wasn't strapping, but he did seem pretty athletic, and she couldn't help but stare while he unloaded suitcases from the SUV for a pretty blonde haired girl. The girl rewarded him with a brilliant smile for the hard work. He smiled back and tucked back his longish raven hair from in front of his eyes.

Two other men approached from the other end of the vehicle. The second man to enter walked over to the blonde, kissing her on the lips lightly. The last stood near the black-haired man, scowling at the cargo. All three seemed related. 'Probably brothers,' Sango thought. 'Awful nice of them to help out their brother's girlfriend like that.' She imagined she had a pretty good handle on the situation already. The blonde girlfriend goes to college; the faithful boyfriend helps out with moving and ropes in his brothers for extra help. 'There's a girl whose example I need to follow, should I get a boyfriend.'

Remembering her purpose outside in the first place, Sango opened the trunk for the next round of unloading. Kagome was not the most organized in her packing, Sango decided as she puzzled over what to take up next. Although some items were in boxes, others were simply lying in the trunk, not packed, and would need some prior organizing to make the next trip to the upstairs dorm worthwhile.

"Need any help?" A deep voice asked from beside her. Sango started, letting out a yelp.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you _mademoiselle._" It was the young man from the SUV. "I just saw you having some difficulty in unloading so I came to assist." Although it was obvious he was not French, he had an undeniably cute affectation to his voice, as if he was trying to act Parisian. Sango smiled at him, thinking to herself. 'A guy like him could be trouble.' She was always rather suspicious of the flirtatious ones.

"I'm sorry to waste your time, but I don't need your help. I'll be fine on my own, thank you." If a guy like him was around by the time her sister got down, they would still be unpacking by sunset.

"Are you sure? You seem to have a bit of a problem with small items." He looked down at the trunk as he said it. "I can get some spare boxes for you."

"That would be nice, but that's all, really." Suddenly she jumped again. This time her instinctive reaction was not to yelp, but slap. Sango slapped him across the face hard enough to leave a visible red mark and an audible report.

"You pervert! I don't even know your name and here you are, grabbing my ass. Are you mad?"

The man smiled ruefully and rubbed his cheek. "I'm sorry, yet again. But I saw you as you leaned over the car, and well, the temptation was too strong to bear."

"Sick." Sango muttered. "Go away."

"What about the boxes?" He asked.

"Go stuff them up your ass." Sango had had enough of the conversation. She grabbed a desk lamp and the printer from among the pile in the back and closed the trunk.

"That doesn't sound very exciting."

"Oh I'm sure you could manage." The dark-haired girl headed around the side of the car, away from the perverted boy. To her chagrin, it was then that her sister took the opportunity to show up.

"Hey, who's the cutie?" She asked; rather loudly in Sango's opinion.

"A sick, twisted pervert. Don't talk to him." Sango warned angrily.

"Oh really, then he must be great, because you never like the guys who are most fun." Kagome laughed and walked up to the strange man, adding an extra sway to her walk, an addition toss of her long dark hair to fall in front of her eyes. Sango had seen it before, especially with Inuyasha. Sango rolled her eyes and left the pair, heading up the walkway.

Behind her, she could hear voices; her sister's, saying, "So what's your name?", and the man's response, "Miroku." Another comment was made between the pair, and she heard laughter, and further conversation in flirtatious tones.

"At least my taste doesn't run to immature." Sango contented herself with a final muttering.


	2. Chapter 2

**Freshman Dilemmas**

A/N: Due to request (I got three reviews! Thank you guys, I enjoyed reading them) I am definitely going to continue this, and hopefully at a fast pace.

So without further ado, let's continue, ne?

And by the way, standard disclaimer works for all chapters…so I'm not bothering to retype that again. But I will add that all the college information is real. St. Joseph and Yale are for the most part the way I mention it. There's just a few facts I tweak for personal enjoyment. -

**Chapter Two**

Today was finally the day Sango had longed for so many months – from since she first received her acceptance letter, really. It was orientation day at Yale.

Saying goodbye in the morning to her sister Kagome, she drove out to New Haven, where her new home resided. Again, before she arrived, she silently prayed that her dorm would at least not look like a white shoebox with cheap furniture.

But after she prayed, her mind drifted to the events of yesterday afternoon, as it had been doing all morning during the drive. For some reason, she could not get her mind off of that sick pervert.

'I'm just worried about Kagome. She way too wild about guys.' she contented herself with thinking. But a little voice in her head was thinking, 'That's not really the reason is it? You're jealous; yet again, your more beautiful sister has taken a guy right from under your nose.'

Sango shook her head. "No way I'm jealous of Kagome. I'm worried. She gets hurt that way, running from guy to guy."

'How much of that worry is denial?' the little annoying voice asked.

Sango chose to ignore that voice. Sighing to herself, she drove into the gates of Yale.

New Haven was beautiful, from what she had seen passing through, but the college was a dream. Suddenly she was surrounded by gothic towers nestled among wide oak trees. She beamed to herself. 'I bet Kagome would wish she'd applied here if she saw the view. It's gorgeous.'

She stopped the car at the visitors' center, taking out a map. "Saybrook, Saybrook," she muttered to herself. "Where is that college anyway?"

Before she arrived, Yale had pre-chosen her residential college, according to personality, culture, etc. Saybrook, actually the oldest of the houses, was going to be her new home for the next four years. She couldn't wait to move in.

A knock on the car window startled Sango from her excited grin. She looked out, startled, then frowned. 'What's he doing here?' she thought, feeling her anger from yesterday rising again. It was that pervert, Miroku.

Rolling her eyes, she rolled down the window. "What do you want?"

"Are you lost, miss? The women's college is in West Hartford. Are you visiting someone?" He seemed almost sincere in his concern.

She stared up at him. Who was he kidding? Behind that charm, she could tell he was a real prick; call it women's intuition. "I'm a little lost, yeah, but not in the wrong college, if that's what you're implying. What do you want?"

"Well," he seemed taken aback by her unfriendliness. Obviously, he was not used to having girls unhappy with him. "I thought I recognized you from yesterday at St. Joseph. You're Sango, aren't you?"

"How do you-" her eyes widened.

"Your sister, Kagome, told me your name. But I honestly thought you went to that women's college. Sorry about that." He smiled apologetically, shrugging his shoulders.

Sango didn't reply. She was back to puzzling out the map. She didn't have time for perverts.

"So, about that map. Where are you trying to go?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him lean down to talk to her.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" she asked irritably. Why wouldn't he leave her alone?

"I just jogged over here on my way back to the dorm. It's part of training for football season."

She finally noticed what he was wearing. White t-shirt, loose shorts, hair tied back in a short ponytail. He even carried a water bottle in one hand. The image rather suited his athletic frame, though he was kind of slim for a football player. That probably meant he was the quarterback. "Great, a jock." She muttered. Sango put away the map; she thought she now had a faint idea where Saybrook was.

"You know, you're rather unfriendly. I honestly want to help." He crossed his arms. Sango tried not to notice the way his biceps moved under the shirt sleeves. 'Not now,' she thought to herself. But he was right. She was being rather mean. Maybe she should give him a second chance. Miroku seemed sincere today.

"Sorry," she smiled in what she hoped was a disarming way. "I think we got off on the wrong foot yesterday."

"I believe so. How about we start over?" He smiled.

She nodded.

"Good morning, _mademoiselle_, you appear to be quite lost. May I be of service to you?"

"You didn't have to be quite so old-fashioned." Sango fought not to smile, and lost.

"Then how about: hey honey, you lost? I can take you anywhere you want to be."

"You're pushing it. Right now, I'm thinking, this guy's a bit perverted, but cute. Don't ruin the image." She was starting to enjoy herself. What was with this guy anyway?

"Hm. Is that so?" he grinned, and she grinned back. "All right, I try something natural. Morning, my name's Miroku, what's yours?"

"Basic, but functional." Sango approved. "My name is Sango." She held out her hand to shake.

"A pleasure to finally meet you." Miroku made a courtly bow, taking the hand. Sango had a sinking feeling what he was about to do next. Bending low, he kissed her hand, just a light pressure of lips against her hand.

The kiss made her blush; she could feel the burning on her cheeks. He looked up and smiled. "You're really quite beautiful Sango. Such beautiful sisters; your family is really privileged."

"Kagome's adopted. She's more of a friend." Sango took her hand away. "Look, I'm trying to go to Saybrook."

He seemed slightly disappointed when she took away her hand, but smiled again. "What a coincidence. So am I. I'm a junior there."

"Oh, an older man."

"Not that much older. I'm assuming you're a freshman, since you're lost?"

"I could be a transfer."

"You don't seem the type."

"Back to the lost issue; how far away is it? I can't tell from the map."

"Not far, but you might want to drive." Here he hesitated. "If you want me to direct you, you could take me in your car."

"Why not? Just don't try anything."

"And why would I do that?" His eyes widened in mock innocence.

"Just get in."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I've been actually writing a book on the side, but this idea was so interesting I just had to continue. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

**Chapter Three**

"It's right over there, Saybrook College. Like I said, right up the street. You actually passed it when you arrived at the visitor's center." Miroku pointed out an elaborate building with a swish of his water bottle. He seemed casual about the view, as ifsixteenth century style gothic towers were a part of his normal day at school. But considering that he was a junior here, it probably was.

"You never said-" Her words faded into a shocked silence as she looked out the opposite car window at her new home. Sango couldn't help but stare at the structure. 'You've got to be kidding me.' She thought. 'The pictures in the brochure so do not give this place justice.'

"Sango, Sango." A bottle suddenly blocked her sight of Saybrook. "Yale to Sango."

She glared at the grinning fool in the passenger seat. His laughing grin faded to a satisfied smirk. "Everyone has that reaction on the first day. It's a sign that you'll probably be a fanatical Saybrugian like the rest of us. Welcome home."

"You've got to be kidding me." She repeated aloud. Although she was mad at his smirk, she was in shock enough about the college to forgive the cocky attitude. "I was expecting gothic, but this is a little-"

"-extreme?"

"Try Harry Potterish or maybe medieval England. Unreal."

Miroku smiled. "The technical term is late Gothic revival. Don't worry, it gets better inside." He glanced behind him, out the rear window. "You might want to park, you're kind of blocking traffic."

Sango shook her head. "All right, so where do I park, oh high junior?"

"That's upperclassmen to you, freshie. And you might want to park near the Old Campus."

"The Old Campus? Why?"

"Did you read up at all before you came here?" He seemed incredulous.

"Well, I saw the information about my college, and I skimmed through the other pages. It's been a hectic summer."

"Then you might want to skim through them again. Freshman assigned to any other of the twelve residential colleges, other than Silliman and Timothy Dwight, are required to live on the Old Campus."

Sango blinked in surprise. "So we don't really enter the college until sophomore year?"

"You don't live here, yeah, pretty much. Don't worry though; you'll still be connected to Saybrook. We don't ignore our newbies." He patted her thigh in what he must have imagined was a friendly gesture.

Sango glared. "Do I need a restraint order on you to stop you from being a pervert?"

"It's a natural gift." Miroku grinned.

"More like a curse." She muttered in return. "So where's this Old Campus?" Sango asked in a louder, more resigned voice.

"Back down the street, nearly opposite from the lovely visitors' center where I found you."

"Is that so?" She resumed driving down the main road, Elm Street. "You played me, didn't you?"

"It's an upperclassmen trick, but honestly, I only wanted the enjoyment of your company."

"Spare me." Sango scoffed. "So what is your real motivation?"

"Why ask such a question?" he seemed wounded.

"Because men like you always have some trick up their sleeve. Is this the place?" Sango asked, pausing near a busy building entrance, similar to Saybrook in the architectural design. 'Gothic Revival was it?' she recalled mentally. It seemed like the typical bustle of freshman. She wondered how she could have missed such an obvious sign earlier. Scanning for room, she quickly snagged a spot close to the entrance arch.

"Yes, this is the Old Campus." Miroku nodded. "I guess I'll let myself out here; head back to my dorm."

"Or you could help me find out where the hell I'm going, fellow Saybrookian."

"Saybrugian." Miroku corrected, opening the door.

"Whatever." Sango waved dismissingly. "So how about it?"

"I'm rather busy this morning, and you don't seem to favor my presence anyway." He yawned, and stepped onto the sidewalk.

"Right now you're the only experienced Yalie I know, so I'll take what I can get." She turned off the engine and unbuckled her seatbelt.

"I don't know, you're rather unfriendly." He began to close the door.

Sango leaned across the seats quickly and grasped the door handle, keeping the door open. She stared up at him. "Or do you need a favor in return?"

Miroku hesitated, then opened the door wider and kneeled in front of the reclining girl. His violet eyes were dancing with mischief. "What kind of favor are we implying, _mademoiselle_ Sango?"

"Cut the flirting out. You want my sister don't you?"

The laughter in his eyes died to a quiet glimmer. "What makes you think that?"

"You two were flirting quite seriously out there yesterday. And I'm not naïve or vain enough to think that a man wouldn't want Kagome over me in a heartbeat."

"Is that so?" He smiled. Sango frowned. She didn't know why she was explaining herself to him, but the urge to tell him how she felt was insistent.

"Yes, it's always been that way and always will be. How can I ever compete with her wide brown eyes, perfect smile, and flirty, sexy personality? I've heard so much from guys who want her too that it's made me all too aware."

"Sounds like you have a problem, having a sister that hot." He said, in a rather neutral tone. He was staring intently at Sango; it was as if her words were the most vital he'd ever heard. She had a fleeting thought that if the pervert had one endearing trait; it had to be the way he listened. But still, it didn't matter, because she would have to do the usual proposal and arrange another boyfriend for her lovely sister.

"It's a problem, sure, but not one I can't live with. She's not a bad person, honestly. She has the sweet personality to match the looks. Except that she can get a bit hard-headed sometimes." Sango climbed into the passenger seat so to sit more comfortably. Miroku sat on the pavement, seeming comfortable despite the heat and the hard cement. He still watched Sango closely. It made her almost a bit flattered and nervous. 'He certainly has a way of making women feel important, doesn't he? But then he'll probably ruin it with another perverted action.'

"So the deal is this: you help me get settled in to Old Campus and Yale this year, and I'll hook you up with my sister, who, by the way, is incredibly difficult to get on your own attempt."

"Oh, I'm sure I could find another woman who's more difficult." Miroku smiled.

"Is it a deal?" Sango pressed. She really could use the help, and it wouldn't hurt being able to keep tabs on one of Kagome's boyfriends.

"So I keep your company this year, and in return I am rewarded a lovely girlfriend? Seems like a dream come true for any man."

"I'm sure there are some who would find the obligation too much." Sango shrugged. She wondered why he was being so indifferent about this. Most men jumped at the chance to date Kagome.

"Deal then. If Kagome wishes it, I'll date her, and in return, I'll be your guide to your new life."

"Deal." Sango felt a momentary twinge of guilt for offering up Kagome for a bargain. But her sister had showed some interest in this man, so she might as well give him a chance. He might even be enough to distract her from moping about Inuyasha.

"I'll call her tonight, and arrange the first date."

"And I'll get you started on your orientation. What hall are you in?"  
"Hall?" Sango gave Miroku a blank look. He sighed and stood up, then ran slender fingers through his tied hair.

"_Mademoiselle_, I have the feeling this is going to be a long year."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: 8 reviews in three days…awesome. I love you guys, and the reviews are really helping me continue! For anyone out there who doesn't review, it'd be nice if you say something, anything, you know. It really eggs the author on to continue. So do it already. Thanks for good comments! I'm really warming up to this. So let's get on with it!

**Chapter Four**

Sango flipped open her cell phone, speed dialing a familiar number.

"Sango, hey! Just the person I want to talk to!" came the cheerful voice on the line.

Sango sighed. "Is that so, Kagome?" she responded, lying back in her bed.

"You wouldn't believe how sweet Miroku is! He's such a gentlemen. Yesterday we went to see a movie…" And on she went, rattling off in an animated voice her latest date with the junior. "…all my friends are so jealous. Eri told me yesterday that if at any time I didn't want him, she'd grab him in a heart beat! And Yuka keeps trying to eavesdrop on all our phone conversations! The only one of my group out here that hasn't been so nosy is Ayumi, and she confessed to me last week that she'd always wanted a boyfriend like Miroku, so I better treat him properly!"

"Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi; I'm guessing they're dormmates?" Sango asked, not particularly caring about the answer.

"Yeah, they're really great." Kagome confirmed, her voice still more excited than usual.

"So, it's been a month; what's your evaluation of him? Keep or dump?" Sango and Kagome had created a sort of system for the emotionally busy Kagome. With an open mind, she dated a guy for a month. If in a month, or earlier, she found she couldn't stand him, he was a dump. If not, a keep.

"Definitely keep!" Kagome squealed.

"I see. I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that." Sango said, her eyes shifting from the ceiling to her books, piled on her desk. "Well, I have a paper to write for freshman writing intensive, and I'm sure you have work too. Don't let me keep you."

"I don't mind talking to you at anytime, but if you're busy…" she paused. "You know, you sound kind of sad. Is something wrong?"

"Wrong? No, I don't think so. Why?" Sango frowned.

"Just, you seem quieter than normal. Are you having problems settling in?"

"No, everything's been good here." She finished in a firm voice. "I'm fine."

"All right, but you know I'm here if you want to talk." A thought seemed to come to Kagome. "I have an idea. Why don't you get a boyfriend?"

"A _what_?" Sango stared at the phone for a second. Rolling her eyes, she put the phone back to her ear. "You're not serious, are you?"

"I'm totally serious. You need a guy that you can let go of some tension on. Relax with, that kind of thing. You haven't had a boyfriend since 10th grade, you know."

"Robbie doesn't count as a boyfriend." Sango denied.

"Then you haven't had one period. So get one already. You're 18, not dead."

Sango sighed. "I'll have to think about it."

"Good, then go get one. Talk to you later sis." Kagome hung up.

"A boyfriend huh." Sango said aloud to no one in particular. Maybe her sister was right. But there wasn't anyone she would want to be with anyway. 'Especially that pervert, Miroku, whom everyone loves.' She thought with sudden fierceness. In all the occasions over the past month that she had been around Miroku, all he could was molest her in some way. She couldn't figure out why no one else saw him like she did. 'If he grabs my ass one more time, I'll kill him.' But after all, she had made the deal for a guide for the _entire_ year.

The phone rang, startling her from suddenly angry thoughts. She opened the cell without really looking at it. "Who is it?" she demanded.

"Good evening, _ma cherie_. Why so angry?" A cheerful voice asked from the line. Her heart quickened at the voice, but that could have been her anger too.

"Where the hell do you get off calling me _cherie_? Isn't that a French term of endearment?"

"_Exactament_. And as you know, I'm taking French. I though the language of love would be the best way to express fondness."

"How can you say things like that and not consider yourself cheating on my sister?"

"Am I?" he questioned, his voice innocent. "Or is it merely part of my irresistible charm?"

"It's part of your bullshit, that's for sure. What do you want Miroku?"

"Why must it always be something I want?" he fairly whined.

"Didn't we have a conversation like this once before?" Sango sighed, and massaged her temples, keeping the phone in the bend of her neck.

"I only desired to hear your beautiful voice," he protested, and then added, "and your face."

"And most likely, my ass as well."

"I will not deny that would be nice."

"Pervert."

"Such harsh words."

"So where do you want to meet?" She was beginning to understand his strange ways of communicating to her.

"In the Saybrook private library in a half an hour?"

"What for?"

"You mentioned earlier today that you were having problems with calculus. I thought I'd volunteer my and a friend's services."

"A friend? What kind of friend?"

"A smart one. He's a little busy right now but he'll be there in an hour. So meet me at six thirty?"

"Sure, why not? I did say I needed help." Sango agreed, rather reluctantly.

"I will be waiting, _ma cherie._" He hung up.

'What have I gotten myself into?' Sango sighed, but couldn't help smiling for some mysterious reason. 'I think I'm losing it.'

Getting up with a groan, she began to pack her books.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Again, thanks all for the reviews and comments! It's been really appreciated. Also, in reference to a comment left by lilpinkpookie: despite what you may think, I like Kagome – she's just like any normal teenager, and she really truly doesn't know whether Sango likes Miroku. There are no bad guys in this story, also human ones. So with that, let's go to the next chapter…

**Chapter Five**

"So it's seven-thirty, Miroku; where's your friend?" Sango was starting to get a little impatient. Twenty-five minutes had been wasted arguing over useless babble; during the last five, they had actually begun the assignment.

"He should be here any minute now." Miroku said, frowning over the calculus equation. "Something's not right here about your work. I'm not exactly a math or engineering major, so I can't tell you exactly. You're in a higher class than I was in when I took calculus."

"You know, you never told me your major – and why did you volunteer to help if you can't do the work anyway?" Sango asked exasperatedly. She sat in a comfortable arm chair beside Miroku's, leaning over its arm to peer at the figures in her notebook, placed on the small table between them. The lamp that had once been on the table was now on the floor; not contributing much in the way of lighting, but providing space for them to work.

"It's French literature and culture with a minor in international relations." He replied partly to her question, head still lowered over the paper.

"Nice, so are you planning to work in France or something?" she asked, curious. It was actually the first time she ever had a serious conversation with him – at least so far.

"I would like to work in the embassy in France, if I can. I think it'd be interesting, broaden my horizons."

"You must really love the place then." She smiled. It was nice to know he had some higher calling in life besides flirting.

"I love the idea of ambassadorial work, and I like to travel." He glanced up and smiled back at her. Their eyes met; his seemed smoldering, as if lighted from within. It was a surprisingly intimate gaze. Sango could feel a slight blush flare in her cheeks. She looked away.

"Is that so? What does your family think of it?" she asked, trying to continue in a normal tone. She hoped her voice didn't sound as breathy as she thought it did.

"They think they're throwing their money away, sending me to Yale and such. But then, my family has been throwing money around everywhere for years." He seemed rather resigned. Sango was surprised he wasn't more resentful towards his family.

"Well, do what you want, not what people think you should, that's what my sister always says."

"Kagome is a very wise girl for her years."

"Oh she has her spacey moments, especially with guys." Sango sighed. "By the way, she really has a thing for you. She wouldn't shut up about you on the last phone call."

"Does she now? I'm glad she's happy." He replied off-handedly. Miroku's tone of voice made her glance back at him, puzzled. 'Wasn't he happy she wanted him?' Sango stifled the odd leap in her heart as she thought.

Miroku was making notations in her notebook, head lowered, his hair, loose, falling over his face. He brushed back thin tendrils automatically, tucking them behind his ear. "But I can't help wondering whether there is someone else here who is not happy." He looked up and met her eyes again, beginning in a more insistent voice. "Sango, do you-"

"Hey man, sorry to keep you waiting! But don't fear, I'll fix all your – beautiful women…" The voice trailed off. Sango and Miroku both looked over to the door of the library, where an athletic looking brunette had entered, and paused, staring at Sango.

"Well, hello gorgeous. How does Houshi find babes like you, anyway?" The man grinning, flashing perfect white teeth in a tanned, attractive face. Sango looked up a little further to see brilliant blue eyes twinkling merrily.

"And you are?" Sango asked, in a tone that meant physical torture was soon on the way. Miroku glanced at Sango's face and grinned.

"This is my friend and dorm mate, Koga Ookami."

"Interesting last name." Sango tried for neutral. From the grin on the newcomer's face, it succeeded.

"It means wolf. I come from a pretty fierce lot. They call me the steel claw on the football field." Koga cracked his knuckles. Sango wasn't impressed, but she did like the confidence that seemed to emanate from him.

"So you guys play football together?" She asked, tilting her head to look at Miroku.

He nodded. "Yeah, quarterback and wide receiver. Depending on the game, we switch positions."

"And we kick ass! This year we'll beat Harvard into the ground. Their ass is grass, and the lawnmower's coming to town." Koga seemed excited, if the word could suffice for the intense gleam in his eyes. Sango couldn't help but grin. He was starting to make her excited about the upcoming match and she didn't even like football.

"Maybe I'll come watch."

"You will? But I thought you said you wouldn't be caught dead-" Miroku protested, seeming shocked.

"With a pretty lady like you there, how could we lose? I'll be sure to dedicate the winning touchdown to you." He bowed.

Miroku frowned at him. "Didn't we invite you here for something _besides_ football Koga? You are the biophysics major, after all."

"Hey, chill. I was just introducing myself to the lady."

"A biophysics major? Excuse me for saying this, but you don't seem the laboratory type." Sango asked. She found herself strangely attracted to the flashy personality.

"Only 'cause the mentor's hot." At Sango's sudden frown he added hastily. "Kidding, kidding. I want to be in the field, studying wolves and other wild canines; that sort of thing. It's a passion. But I'm going to need some money. Biology majors aren't paid as much money as a more unusual major, like biophysics. So I'm studying that for now." Koga flopped into a nearby armchair, closer to Sango than Miroku. "What do you think now, honey?" he grinned.

"It's well thought out, and sounds like a good idea. But one thing," she leaned over her chair to say pointedly. "Don't call me honey."

"It's only because your eyes look like-"Koga's flirting was cut off by Miroku.

"So back to the reason we asked you here." Miroku watched Sango as she sat back in her chair, blushing.

"What was that again?" Koga seemed puzzled, but continued smiling in a satisfied way.

"Calculus help." Miroku reminded his friend.

"Oh right," Koga flashed a grin at Sango, "always willing to help a beautiful lady in distress."

After they had completed the assignment, it was late, almost midnight.

"Man, that took longer than I thought. I missed Family Guy, jeez." Koga hopped out of his chair, and then offered a hand to the freshman. "Allow me to escort the lady to her dorm?" his eyebrow arched in a decidedly humorous fashion.

"I guess it couldn't hurt. You did save my grade, after all." Sango agreed, taking his hand.

"Are you sure you want to walk alone with him? If you think I'm a pervert, then he would be a sex offender."

"That hurt dude. I thought we were friends." Koga made a pouting face. Sango thought it was cute.

"I'm just warning you, Sango." Miroku seemed serious, almost worried.

"I'll be fine." She brushed it off. He probably didn't want his friends involved with her more than they had to.

"Then let's go. The night is young, and you probably have parties to go to." Koga led her to the door, opening it for them both.

"Parties, me?" Sango scoffed. She glanced back though at Miroku. He watched them with an inscrutable expression.

She almost headed back, but Koga tugged on her arm.

"Come on Sango, don't worry about Hoshi; the man can take care of himself."

"I wasn't worried." Sango protested. They left the library.

"Just saying." Koga led her out of Saybrook College, walking casually to the Old College, and her hall.

They made light conversation, drifting from topic to topic in a peaceful, cheerful manner. 'It almost feels like I'm heading home from a date.' She thought amusedly to herself. She glanced over at him as he talked about football. Tall, but not too tall. Rather long black hair tied up in a ponytail.

They passed under a streetlamp. His light blue eyes glittered under the light like small jewels. He was tanned, in shape, and he had a vivid personality. She almost felt as if she was being bespelled.

"I wanted to ask you something, Sango." Koga asked as they headed towards her hall. He let her lead now, looking around at the broad courtyard in the center of the quadrangle.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Would you go out with me; be my girlfriend?"

Sango stopped walking. Was he serious? 'I mean, come on, I only just met the guy.' And she told him so.

"So what? I've been looking for a girl like you. Intelligent, funny, tough, but still delicate and beautiful. You're like a dream come true, you know." He touched her chin; lifted her face to meet his. His eyes seemed honest, sincere. "You are available, aren't you?"

"I – I don't know what to say." She sputtered finally. He was attractive, yes, but…

"Say yes, you're available, and yes, you'll date me." He supplied, smiling now.

"I-" Part of her mind froze, hesitating, as if unwilling to comply. But the more dominant side demanded, 'What the hell are you pausing for? Kagome said you needed a boyfriend right?'

"Yeah, I'll go out with you."

"Great," he answered, grinning with relief. "You doing anything this weekend?"

"No, not really." She looked over to her hall, feeling oddly sad.

"Then I'll pick you up around 3 pm. We'll do something fun."

"All right." She agreed, her mind whirling.

"See you later." He hesitated, then leaned down and kissed her cheek. Walking away, he waved. Sango waved back and turned away, walking up to her hall door.

"So I have a boyfriend now." She muttered to herself. "Then why do I feel so disappointed?"

Shaking her head at these conflicting thoughts, she headed inside for the night.

A/N: It's a bit longer than the rest, but I work in plot sections, not really page length. I swear to you I had no idea Koga was going to do that until I started typing. Characters, when you're writing just seem to take a life of their own. So I've let them complicate their own lives. Hopefully the ending still turns out the way I thought it might. Now I too am becoming a part of the audience! Naughty Koga! I love all the characters equally well…in their own special way.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I can't help but continue obsessively on this story; all the stuff I had planned this week just kind of fell by the wayside…

I read some more of the comments…you know I thought Sesshoumaru would have been the smart friend too…but after thinking, I've found a higher calling for him. He will appear; how could I do an Inuyasha fic without him?

Also, because of recent developments, there's a change to the pairings. So let's see: MxKag, San x Kog…there's others coming soon, but you'll have to keep reading to see…I promise I'll update rapidly. And again, your reviews are my life, so keep me alive and I'll continue!

Without further ado…

**Chapter Six**

Kagome's dorm floor was full of people; many not from the college, and quite a few male. The girl herself was relaxing on one of the many couches situated around the common room, laughing wildly at a comment made by her latest boyfriend, Miroku.

"Do you really think she's a lesbian? I mean, I know the stereotypes about womens colleges, but come on."

"Isn't it obvious? Or maybe they're just really close friends." Miroku lay back in the couch, taking aswallow of the beer bottle in his hand. He didn't really care to be here, at this party, but his girlfriend hadn't seemed to notice. In fact, she dove into the party as if possessed, the way she seemed to do most things. It made the young man wonder if she was escaping something else, something personal.

"Don't you want to dance at all?" she asked again for what seemed to him the hundredth time.

"I'm not really the dancing type." It wasn't true; he loved clubbing, but he wasn't in the mood tonight. Closing his eyes momentarily, he wondered what Sango was doing. 'Probably out with Koga. Maybe they're clubbing. Lucky bastard.' The thought made him suddenly both angry and sad.

"You know Miroku, you've been acting rather funny lately." Kagome frowned at him. He glanced at the girl. She was pretty, no doubt, but really not his type. A familiar thought ran through his mind, 'What am I doing here?'

"How so?" he asked aloud.

"Well, you seem rather quiet, like you're thinking about something. Say, are you by any chance-"

"Kagome, long time no see." A deep, smooth voice made the couple look up, surprised.

"S-Sesshoumaru…what are you doing here?" Kagome squeaked, her eyes growing wide. Miroku wondered, 'Who is this guy, an ex-boyfriend?'

"I have some matters I wish to discuss with you, and considering how long it took to find you, I'd say we have that discussion now." The man seemed serious, almost menacing. Miroku half-expected to see the older man pull a gun from the leather trenchcoat he wore. 'Excluding the part about the long white hair, he's wearing all black – black trenchcoat, black undershirt, black pants. Either he's mafia or he's some other high crime related guy. But whatever he is, he's dangerous.'

"All right, we'll talk now, but why do I have the feeling I know what this is about?" Kagome seemed resigned, and rose. Her body movements suggested ease with the man, so he could possibly be an ex. 'Kagome sure has some friends in dark places.' He thought, watching them curiously.

"Are you sure it's all right, Kagome?" Miroku asked, not quite trusting the hitman, as he had labeled Sesshoumaru in his mind.

"It's fine, he's my ex-boyfriend's half-brother. We're old friends, sort of." Kagome smiled reassuringly and leaned down to kiss his cheek. She paused before rising, and murmured against his ear, "And when I come back, we're going to have a little talk of our own, okay honey?" her voice was light, and she patted his shoulder after standing straight.

Miroku nodded, then tilted the bottle towards Sesshoumaru. "Nice to meet you, I'm Miroku Houshi."

"Sesshoumaru Inutaisho. I'm assuming you're Kagome's new boyfriend?" His voice was disinterested, cold, businesslike.

Miroku nodded tentatively.

"I see." Sesshoumaru looked him over in a considering manner. His voice this time expressed boredom, "You don't seem her type."

Before Miroku could protest, Kagome intervened.

"Well," she laughed nervously, "that's enough chit-chat. Let's get to walking, huh Sesshy?" glancing back at Miroku, she lead the tall trenchcoated hitman out the door of the common room.

Miroku let out a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. 'Was it just me, or was that man scary as hell? What kind of ex does this girl have?'

He shook his head, 'Does Sango know these people too?' he shuddered at the thought.

His mouth strangely dry, he took a deep swig of his beer.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I believe things are rapidly coming to a head in this short story, but even I can't really tell what's going to happen anymore. Keep reading to find out, and keep reviewing! Thanks to everyone who has put in a comment so far; you've really helped me keep going.

**Chapter Seven**

Kagome led Sesshoumaru into the cold, crisp, autumn night. It was mid-November, and fall was in full force. As they walked along a path that ran around the hall, Kagome could see leaves on the ground everywhere, damp with rain that had came earlier that day, but large and golden-brown.

"Kagome, do you like this school?" Sesshoumaru asked. She looked up, surprised. For a moment she had forgotten he was even there. Her ex's older brother had a way of making himself silent that Inuyasha could never master. The thought of Inuyasha, the man she had tried to forget for the past year, made her throat tighten.

"It's nice. The students and faculty are both friendly and there's always help if I need it."

"Rin might like it here." He observed. Kagome glanced over at him. The tall man seemed as mysteriously handsome as ever; he had a contemplative look on his face that seemed to make him more unapproachable than ever. 'But that's Sesshy for you.' Kagome thought. She smiled.

"Rin's only eight, Sesshy. She's got another decade before she needs to start worrying about college."

"Preparedness saves regret later." Came the sagelike response.

Kagome laughed. "How does that adorable kid live with you?"

"She says she learns a lot from her daddy."

"So have you adopted her legally?"

He nodded. "We couldn't contact her original parents. They are assumedly deceased, because of the disaster."

Kagome dimly recalled the incident that had brought Rin into Sesshoumaru's life. As far as she remembered the story, last year Sesshoumaru had taken a 'vacation' to southern Asia. She doubted it was actually a vacation; most likely he had been on assignment from the family business. But for whatever reason, he traveled to Indonesia.

While he was there, a horrible tsunami hit the island and many on the island died. Sesshoumaru was lucky enough to head inland, and not drown under the giant wave. But he did get hit by some of the things set afloat, and fell unconscious. When he awoke, the wave had subsided and he head and arm wounds had been bandaged, rather neatly, and a small girl, dressed in little more than rags, was offering him food.

The usually cold man, for some reason, decided to keep the girl while searching for her parents, on and off. The last thing Kagome had heard was that if the girl hadn't recovered her family, she would have to go to social services.

"Instead of going to child services, she requested to stay with me, and calls me father."

"How does child services feel about that? Don't they usually disapprove of single parents?"

"They approved the arrangement." Sesshoumaru said, in a tone that meant the subject was closed.

"Oh."

"That was not the reason I came here today."

"More like tonight." Kagome muttered. Sesshoumaru appeared not to hear.

"What reason did you give for ending the relationship with Inuyasha?"

"He-" Kagome sighed and thought fiercely to herself. 'Oh come on, it's been nearly a year and a half. Surely you can talk about it now?'

"He still had feelings for his ex-girlfriend, Kikyo. So I let him go back to her." The last sentence was whispered. Kagome could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Why did it have to hurt so much?

"Kikyo and Inuyasha have not been dating for some months now, and while they were dating, they were not exactly happy."

"Couldn't tell." Kagome muttered miserably.

"He still loves you, Kagome." Sesshoumaru stopped walking to turn to the girl beside him. "Last week he tried to commit suicide."

"What?" Kagome looked up at him sharply. "No way! Inuyasha would never-"

"As I pulled the gun from his hands, he told me, 'Nothing matters anymore. No one will care. Only Kagome ever did.' " Sesshoumaru shifted uncomfortably. "The point is, Inuyasha is one of our best…helpers in the family business. He gets things done right and fast the first time, and he knows how to deal with the people who don't pay up." The older brother nodded. "But lately he's been off, dumb. We can't work with him anymore, and frankly, he's pissing me off. So the most sensible solution seems to be that we should persuade you to return to him."

"Persuade, huh." Kagome was smiling now. She knew fairly much of what Inuyasha's family did as a 'business'. The Inutaisho family had been running much of Baltimore's local politics in the background for years. She wasn't sure if they were Mafia, but it sort of seemed that way.

"So you want me to fly back home to Baltimore, have a little talk with Inuyasha, and make him get back to normal?" she asked, amused.

"As a family, we would appreciate having our…good helper…back." Sesshoumaru smiled back at Kagome, a rare expression. "But I want you to go back and tell him how you really feel about him. You still love him, don't you, Kagome?"

"I-yes." 'No use denying it now.' Kagome thought resignedly. "I always have."

"And he loves you, more than the idiot realizes." Sesshoumaru added. "So stop making fools of yourself and get back together already." He muttered disgustedly. "Both of you are making me sick."

Kagome laughed. She really missed her old life with the family. Despite what her adopted parents thought of the Inutaishos, she loved the people and the little "family secrets"; and she loved the boy who had introduced her to it all. Her laughter faded into a wistful sigh. "I want to go back home, Sesshou."

"Then pack what items you need, break up with your current distraction, and meet me at the Hartford airport at seven a.m. tomorrow." They walked back to the hall entrance. "I'll be waiting."

As mysteriously as he had arrived, Sesshoumaru was gone, melted into the solid black night. Kagome shook her head. 'You know, I think he's gotten friendlier since we last talked. Must be because of Rin.' She grinned and ran up the main stairs. 'I've got to start packing.'

Her mind was already planning the breakup speech.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hey again! I think there's only two more chapters after this, if so much. We're nearly at the end, but I've got to say I'm going to miss writing so much. Thank you, a thousand times over, for the reviews!

However, I'm writing another story, but since that one isn't a fanfic, it's on If you want to read, and I highly suggest it , copy and paste the link,http/ and go see it! I promise it won't be a waste of your time, and there too, reviews are life. Now let's continue to the main event!

**Chapter Eight**

"This is the day, man, this is the day." An excited Koga thumped his best friend's back as he passed him in the busy locker room.

"And what day is this?" Miroku leaned back from his locker with a small smile.

"This is the day that we send Harvard crying back to Cambridge!" Koga yelled, a hand striking the air.

"Is that so?" Miroku laughed. "You know, I've never seen you so excited before, and that's saying something."

"You wanna know why I'm so pumped?" Koga opened his locker in a flourish. "I'll tell you why. Life is perfect right now; I have a great football career, my grades are great, and my girlfriend's gorgeous."

"Right, Sango." Miroku's voice seemed to had lost any amusement it previously held. Koga looked over curiously, then smiled; a secret, rather sad smile.

"Yeah, she's pretty wonderful, but," Koga walked back towards Miroku, clasping his shoulder, "I wonder if her beauty is wasted on me." He murmured into Miroku's ear.

Walking back to his locker, Koga said in a louder voice, "This year the bulldogs are biting Harvard's ass!" A hearty cheer from the team met his yell.

-------------

"Hey Sango, over here!" A voice called wildly from the stands in the Yale Bowl. Sango searched for the voice, finally seeking out her friend practically hopping in her seat. The girl grinned wider, if it was possible, as Sango climbed over others to sit beside her dorm mate.

"Hey Ayame! You seem excited." Sango shivered as a cool breeze passed through the stands.

"Excited? I'm stoked. Go Yale!" She cheered loudly. Other students met her cheer.

It was a chilly November evening, and the site of the most anticipated match of the season, the Harvard v. Yale game. If Sango had missed this game, both her boyfriend and Miroku would have hunted her down. She smiled at the thought of the two, demanding to know why she hadn't come watch. 'But Miroku would be so disappointed…' her mind trailed off with surprise. 'Why am I even thinking about him? He only wants my sister, in any case; it's not like I…'

It was better not to finish that particular thought.

Ayame watched her friend's expression with a mysterious look of her own. She seemed to nod to herself then turn back to the field, watching as the players entered.

-----------------------

They were about to score the final touchdown of the game, Koga could feel it in his very bones. He nodded to Miroku as he walked past, getting into position as wide receiver. As a final good luck charm, he glanced up into the stands, seeking out his lady. It wasn't as if he was in love with her. She was a beautiful babe though, and he had to give homage.

He spotted Sango in the stands, sitting next to a familiar face. 'Ayame?' he thought to himself, making note of the long brown hair, slightly round face. They were fairly far away, but he thought she was fairly attractive now. 'Since that time she moved away.' He felt a slight pang for the old memory, but brushed it aside hastily.

Tonight they were going to win, nothing could distract him from that. He would just have two ladies to pay his respects to.

'With those gals, how could I lose?' he flashed a grin at Sango, but strangely she didn't seem to notice. Ayame waved though. He waved back, and followed, with his eyes, the direction of Sango's smile.

She was smiling at Miroku.

Somehow he didn't feel upset; in fact, it was almost as if all was right with the world at last. They would win for sure. Koga put his helmet on.

Ayame put down her hand, looking over at Sango. "Why didn't you wave back, Sango?"

"Huh?" Sango looked at Ayame, a wistful, yet joyous expression on her face.

"Your boyfriend; he was waving over here." Ayame remarked pointedly.

'My boyfriend…' she thought, feeling dismal all of the sudden. 'Koga was nice, no problems there, but he wasn't-'

"You're thinking of Miroku again aren't you?" Ayame leaned over to see her friend's face, her voice suddenly quiet. Yet Sango could still hear her over the yells of the Yalies in the stands.

"How'd you ever guess?" Sango sighed and shook her head. "Why do I keep thinking of him? I have a boyfriend now, and Miroku's dating my sister. Besides, a pervert like him would be bored by me."

"If you say so." Ayame said dubiously. She was back to watching the final play. She said, in a loud voice so to be heard, "I don't know him that well, so I'll have to take your word for it."

A loud cheer signaled the win for Yale. The band started to play victory fanfare. As fans moved down onto the field, Sango and Ayame included, Ayame grabbed her friend's sweater sleeve and spoke into her ear, "However, there is the thing about Koga."

"What about him?" Sango looked over. Ayame seemed rather angry, unusual for the high-spirited girl. Her grip was tight around Sango's arm.

"I used to know him when I was a kid." She lowered her head and bit her lip, loosening the grip. They made it down to the field in time for the school song. They sung the song loudly with the rest, but Sango was dying to know the rest of Ayame's story. The girl in question finally continued as they were exiting the field, on the way back to the dorm halls.

"He-He promised to marry me when we little. I know now it was just to keep up my spirits when I was moving away, but I really want to hold him to it." She looked up, glaring at Sango, as if daring to question her. Sango stared back in surprise. It was quiet now, outside the Bowl, and Sango could hear her confession clearly.

"Look, what I'm trying to say is – I love Koga okay?"

"You're serious, aren't you?" Sango said in disbelief.

"About as serious as a heart attack, yeah." Ayame confirmed in a grim voice. Sango, to the girl's surprise, hugged her tightly.

"Then take him; he's all yours, I mean it." Sango told her honestly. "He doesn't deserve me when there's someone like you who loves him."

"But what-what about you?" Ayame stammered in shock. The girl was blushing, but seemed elated.

"I'll be fine. I'd rather someone else find happiness than be unhappy because I am." Sango sighed.

"Miroku can't be that bad. Maybe you should talk to him about it." Ayame tried to advise her.

"Maybe, but I already know the answer. Besides," she shrugged, "I was too busy to have a boyfriend in any case."

"All right, if you're sure, then I think there's someone who needs to talk to you." Ayame looked past her friend with a small smile. "And he's right behind you."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I'm going to really hate seeing this story end, but it wouldn't be as good if it didn't have a neat ending. At least, that's what I'm telling myself -- . Anyway, thank you for all the great suggestions and reviews, and hopefully new ideas can spring forth from all this. Keep reading! I have the feeling that I might surprise you guys.

**Chapter Nine**

"Sango," she heard a voice behind her. Sighing, she turned around to face Koga. 'You knew you going to have to do this when you made that decision.' She reminded herself sternly.

"We won! It was awesome! We're practically undefeated now!" Koga hugged her tightly. Sango, surprised, carefully pushed away from him.

He frowned, but asked in a concerned tone, "Is something wrong? You're happy we won right?"

"Yeah, of course I am." Sango nodded. Part of her just wanted to forget the confession. She looked behind her. Ayame had disappeared, a common occurrence when Koga arrived. She sighed; if she wanted to escape, and not admit it, no one would notice. 'Except for my own guilty conscience. Ayame is depending on me here.' She reminded herself sternly. She was never good at break ups, having only done it once, if ever.

"We need to talk, Koga." She began.

"I thought we were talking." Koga suddenly smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Look, babe, if it's about ignoring you the past week; that's how it goes in football. We have a big game; we practice like the dogs we are. It's a fact of life. How about we go get something to drink?" He started steering her in the direction of the dorms. "I'll go get my car, and we'll go to a bar and celebrate victory."

"Koga, I-"

"Need money? Don't worry, I'll pay; you know how it goes."

Sango thought angrily, 'I almost swear he's doing this on purpose.' She cooled down, thinking, 'But perhaps the bar idea isn't so bad.'

"Why not?" she said aloud. "Let's go celebrate."

"That's my girl." Koga grinned.

-------------

The bar Koga chose was fairly close to the college, and consequently, full of people celebrating the result of the game. Koga was subject to many group cheers and toasts, before he could sit down with Sango in a relatively quiet booth near the back of the bar.

Sango was having second thoughts about the breakup. She watched as he fell happily into the seat facing her, passing a beer across the table and gulping down his own. 'He's so happy right now; I don't want to be the bearer of bad news on his big night.' She heaved a sigh and stared at the beer glass.

"You know, you picked a good time for it." Koga mentioned casually, downing the rest of his glass.

"What?" Sango looked up, surprised.

"You know, the talk. Right now, I'm as carefree as I'm ever going to be, and I'll also be the most understanding." Koga leaned over the table and touched her cheek. "So why don't you start talking?"

'Okay,' Sango took a deep breath, "I want to break up, Koga."

He nodded, much to her astonishment. "I thought as much. But keep going; what's the reason?"

She was starting to have the feeling he knew already about all of this. "I'm in love with someone else, and…"

"And?" he raised an eyebrow.

"It wouldn't be fair to you or me to hide something like that. In the end, both of us would be unhappy. So I want to end this." Sango looked away.

"I'm glad you finally said it." Koga's soft voice pulled her head back to his. He seemed wistful, distant. "He's a lucky guy, you know."

"Who?" Sango asked, still shocked he was taking the news so well.

"The guy you're in love with. He's really lucky to have someone like you loving him." Koga nodded, as if to himself. "Well, time to take you home then. No doubt you'll need to save your strength for another confession to him."

"How do you know I haven't told him?" Sango asked before getting up.

"You don't seem the type to cheat like that. It must have been bad enough admitting that you had feelings for another." Koga rose, then gave her a hug. "Good luck, babe."

Sango nodded, feeling tears come to her eyes. He was really a nice guy. It was almost a pity she didn't like him. 'But I do know someone who does.' She thought suddenly.

"Say, Koga," she began as they left the bar, heading home, "I think there's someone you should talk to…"

---------------

A/N: Don't you dare think this is the end…after some thought last night I came up with alittle issue…so there's two more chapters, I believe, after this one…might be three considering how this one ended…so stay tuned! They'll come fast!


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Sorry this took so long...although I suppose it has only been a couple of days...lol...field hockey season has begun so I've been busy with practice, summer assignments, etc.: here's to the next semester! -- But as always enjoy and review! Thanks for your patience! This is not the last chapter.

**Chapter Ten**

Kagome stood at the door of the Inutaishos, wondering, for the hundredth time, why she was doing this. 'After all, he was the idiot who dumped me; for that bitch Kikyo, no less.' She thought fiercely.

Her mind replayed, as it had on the entire trip home, the break-up scene:

_"Kagome," Inuyasha began softly, sitting beside Kagome. They were in the park in his neighborhood; a quiet, peaceful area where the wealthy residents in the surrounding area would walk their animals…_

_…'Or prepare to break up with their girlfriends.' Kagome thought gloomily. She had known exactly what this discussion was going to be about. How could she not? After all, she had seen Inuyasha kiss her…_

_…in this same spot. _

_Kagome sniffled. She scooted a little farther away from Inuyasha, to the edge of the elegant stone bench._

_"I thought you said you would never feel anything for her again?" Kagome asked, in a broken voice. Her tears, hidden away for the past week, were finally beginning to break free._

_"I-I'm sorry. I honestly thought I was over her…" Inuyasha's voice was quiet, sad. Kagome didn't look back to see his face. She couldn't look back._

_"So is that why you brought me here? Couldn't you have picked a less ironic location?" she laughed bitterly._

_"I'm sorry, Kagome. I'm sorry." It seemed he couldn't say anything else. An uncomfortable silence passed before she spoke again._

_"Then say the words." Kagome's voice was bleak now, resigned._

_"The words?" Inuyasha sounded puzzled. 'What an idiot.' Kagome thought to herself. 'He comes here for a break-up speech, and he forgets to say he's dumping me.' _

_"You came here to break up with me right? Then say it. Just say it and let me go!" Kagome's voice steadily rose with each word._

_"I don't want to." Inuyasha muttered. Kagome whirled around to look at him. The boy's head was propped on his hands, and he hid his face._

_"You idiot." Kagome smiled through her tears, resting her hands over his. "You can't have us both."_

_The boy looked up into her eyes, smiling sadly, "I still love her, Kagome. I can't have you both, right? So I can't be with you anymore. It's not fair to you."_

'I don't care what's fair anymore.' Kagome thought stubbornly. 'I just want him back.' She rang the doorbell. The sound echoed within the house; she could dimly hear the tone outside. 'I didn't even find out if anyone's home. Wouldn't that be ironic?'

"Kagome?" A familiar voice made her turn around, heart suddenly racing. A red-headed boy stood at the bottom of the wide porch steps, looking curiously up at her.

"Shippo! You scared the living daylights out of me." Kagome touched her chest, taking a deep breath.

"What are you doing here?" Shippo cocked his head to one side. "Didn't you and Inuyasha-?"

"Break up?" Kagome finished for him with an inquiring glance. She couldn't let the past hurt her anymore. Besides, not all of it was bad – for example, Inuyasha's cousin Shippo, who used to draw funny pictures to cheer her up whenever she and Inuyasha had a fight.

"Yeah." Shippo nodded, blushing. "He went out with that mean lady, Kikyo, for a while, then broke up with her too. Ever since then, he's been real sad."

"Is that so?" Kagome crossed her arms. Just hearing her name aloud again made her suddenly furious. "Then maybe he'd like it if Kikyo paid a visit instead of me!"

Kagome stormed down the stairs and down the driveway, embarrassed and angry. 'Why did I let Sesshoumaru convince me this was a good idea?' She shook her head.

"What did I say Kagome? Please, don't leave!" The adolescent ran after her, but she began running, wanting to get away from everything, anything, that reminded her of Inuyasha.

She finally rested somewhere deep inside the residential park, lying in the hollow of a tree, completely hidden from the path by tall hedges. She had lost sight of Shippo, and in her mind felt desperately sorry for him. 'He never meant any harm. I'm sure he was just trying to make conversation.' But she couldn't go back; not ever.

She sniffled and peeked out of the hedges, checking for any passerby. An old lady passed by, holding the leash of a small decorative dog.

The dog paused by the bushes, sniffing intently. 'It probably smells me,' Kagome thought, in a sudden rush of panic. She began to back away when she heard the owner say, in a light irritated tone. "Now Tootsie, I want to return home before gardener comes by to rake those leaves. You never know what kind of work they'll do if they're unattended." She tugged at the leash crossly, and the small dog yipped, and followed its mistress down the path, forgetting the interesting scent among the leaves.

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. That had been close. She suddenly felt rather silly lying there in the undergrowth. 'What am I doing anyway?' She thought to herself. 'The way I see it, I have two choices. One is to just go back to school, and two is to confront Inuyasha; so which one is it going to be?'

Her mind was already choosing one, and beginning to make the motions of leaving when she heard another's footsteps, treading closer along the path.

The person was slow, as if contemplating, and took a long time getting to where Kagome hid. She felt as if she was about to die just from the waiting. She couldn't quite make out his face; he was a sight taller than the miniature old lady and her dog. But she could tell he was a male, and a teenager, or at least young, from the clothing he wore; faded blue jeans and what seemed to be a basketball team shirt. She couldn't see his face though.

The boy sat down on a bench right next to her hiding spot. Kagome groaned mentally, 'Just what I need.' She thought to herself. 'Now I'll be stuck here for hours.'

She sat back against the tree, waiting for him to move.

It was early afternoon, just after lunch, or so Kagome could tell. Not much time had passed since the embarrassing incident at the Inutaisho residence. 'More like mansion, if you ask me.' She thought, grumbling. 'Why won't this guy move already?'

As she sat, grumbling to herself, she thought she heard the faintest answer from the boy. 'Or at least I think he said something.' Kagome leaned closer to the barrier hedges, curious.

"She came back. Feh; I think Shippo's losing it." He said quietly, as if talking to himself. Her heart began to beat a little bit faster at the sound of the boy's voice.

Kagome smiled, 'Inuyasha talking to himself? Who would have imagined?' She didn't feel so frightened anymore. 'Maybe this will be easier than I thought.'

"Why would Kagome come back? She probably hates me. I do." Came the miserable voice.

"You do what?" Kagome asked, not stepping quite yet out of her hiding place.

"I hate myself." Inuyasha responded, as if bushes talking were a normal occurrence for him. Kagome had to struggle not to laugh.

"You should feel like an idiot, but you really shouldn't hate yourself." She suggested.

"Why not?" He asked, head in his hands. "I got caught between the girl I love, and the girl I used to think I loved. And guess who I picked?"

"The girl you love?" Kagome asked.

"No, like a true asshole I picked the blast from the past. Man, I'm an idiot."

"Pretty much." Kagome agreed. She leaned back against the tall bush. It was interesting to note he hadn't realized he was talking to a hedge yet.

"So I dumped the girl I should have stayed with, and went out with the old chick."

"Did you regret it?" Kagome asked, now curious.

"Did I? I spent a year with her, thinking to myself, 'I'm in hell'. But I was too proud to go running back to Kagome."

"How did Kagome feel about all this?" She asked.

"I have no idea. We didn't go to the same school in the first place; I'm in a private school up here – she goes to public school on the other side of the city, and we never really ran into each other."

"Never?"

"Well, I saw her once, about ten months or so ago; at the mall. She was shopping with her sister and some friends; laughing. She looked so pretty, and happy – without me. I bet she's going out with someone else now. Someone who won't be stupid enough to throw her away."

"What if she was single?" Kagome's heart was racing now. She remembered that time in the mall. She had been so miserable, but she'd hidden it away so she wouldn't spoil her friend's birthday.

"She doesn't deserve me." Inuyasha said, then heaved a deep sigh.

"Who are you to say who she does or doesn't deserve?" Kagome demanded, outraged.

"Huh?" Inuyasha stood up from the bench, staring at the hedges. 'Oh now the fool finally got it.' She thought sarcastically.

"You don't have any right dictating what people deserve or what's fair to them!" Kagome yelled angrily, pushing through the hedges to the path. In her anger she forgot about the stone bench at the edge of the path, and tripped over it, falling forward.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, and ran towards the falling girl. He caught her before she fell to the ground, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Thanks." Kagome muttered, after an awkward pause. She looked up at Inuyasha, blushing. She couldn't quite meet his eyes, so settled on his chin. 'I can't believe I just did that.' She thought gloomily to herself. Now she was covered in leaves; they occupied much of her hair and stuck onto the clingy fabric of her sweater. 'Oh great, I must look like some tribal girl.' She thought frantically, trying to ignore the sensation of Inuyasha's arms around her, and his chest, so close and warm.

"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha asked. He seemed in shock, and busied himself with picking the leaves out of Kagome's hair, one by one, as if it was the most important task in the world. Kagome blushed and looked down some more. The shirt he was wearing, a faded System of a Down t-shirt, decorated with pink mushrooms, didn't seem the most inviting thing to stare at, but it was better than looking up. Anything was at this moment.

"Is that Shippo's shirt?" She asked curiously, trying to stay away from the obvious topic, why she was here.

"Yeah, it is." His voice seemed a bit defensive. "His laundry got mixed up with mine."

"Thought so." Kagome hesitated. 'Oh no! I need to say something else before he brings up the question again!' As she opened her mouth to spout another random topic, Inuyasha interrupted.

"Kagome, you haven't answered my question yet." He reminded her, still picking at her hair.

"What question was that?" Kagome racked her brain for an interruption. Another part of her brain wondered, 'Why haven't I run away yet?' She agreed that would be rather logical, but her feet just wouldn't move. 'Damn legs; never useful when I need them.' She thought furiously.

"You know, the obvious, like why you're here?" He asked, seeming to get a little impatient.

"Oh right. That." She couldn't avoid it anymore. "Your brother paid me a visit at college."

"Did he now? Is Sesshoumaru sweet on you or something?" His voice held an edge of jealousy.

"No, nothing like that. He came to talk to me about you."

"What?" He seemed startled.

"You tried to commit suicide?" she started on the most urgent. Now Inuyasha was the one who seemed uncomfortable.

"Yeah, once. But I was feeling like shit that day, and the gun nearby just seemed so handy. So I picked it up, and I was about to-"

"No more! You crazy stupid idiotic boy; I hate you!" Kagome yelled, pounding at his chest.

"Kagome, Kagome, easy huh? That hurts." Kagome was sure it didn't really hurt him, but paused anyway, changing gears completely. She cried into his t-shirt.

Inuyasha let out a sigh that could only be placed somewhere between exasperation and concern.

"Kagome…" He muttered. "Stop that too. You're wetting my shirt."

"Asshole." Kagome replied between sobs.

"And proud of it. So are you going to stop already?" Inuyasha held her close in an embrace and she clung to him, her tears subsiding little by little.

"I missed you." She finally said in a voice broken by sobs.

"I missed you too. You know," he began as if he just thought of something new, "I even miss the way you boss me around, or at least try to."

Kagome cuffed him lightly on the shoulder. "Know your place puppy."

"Rowf." Inuyasha lowered his head, touching foreheads with her. Finally Kagome looked into his eyes. The warm amber of his eyes made her feel at home, comfortable at last.

"Take me back?" he murmured, his voice inquiring and hopeful.

"I can't just leave you out in the cold can I? I don't want your little nose getting any colder." Kagome replied in an equally inquiring murmur.

Inuyasha hovered over her lips, asking permission. She gave it, leaning upwards the tiniest inch to meet him. After a long moment, they parted lips, but Kagome had moved her hands to clasp around his neck. They stood, close as ever, and completely comfortable.

"I love you, Kagome." He told her. His eyes were as sincere as she'd ever seen them.

So she replied with equal sincerity. "I love you too."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **Dude, I think this is the only chapter so far that's really thrown me into a loop. There's only a few more parts left before this story can be said to be "all wrapped up", but the _way_ things happen…don't mind me, I'm just ranting in my little note because I'm the silly little author.

But I do want to thank again all the reviews, good and bad (there's been a few critical ones, but I honestly do appreciate them as well as the good. It tells me how I can improve it for you guys) and all the character ideas like Koga being a wee bit too nice (kinda picked up on that), where's Sesshoumaru, and where's Shippo (how could I do a story without those guys, really?)

So thanks again for being so patient and supportive, and enjoy reading!

P.S.: Reviews make me keep writing…lets me know you're interested…so please write and I will too!

arigato

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

* * *

"On the week's outlook for the New Haven area, it looks like there's a chance of snowfall. So be on the look for flurries-" Sango clicked off the television set in the common room, yawning and stretching. 

She had just pulled another all-nighter, trying to finish her general biology report. Now her mind spun with diagrams of dissected frogs. 'Definitely not a good thing to be focused on in the morning.' She yawned again for good measure. 'Perhaps a nap before class?'Anything that involved sleep atthe momentsounded good to her.

Climbing into her bed, she set the alarm clock for 9:30, giving her a good forty-five minutes to get going for the class. After checking the clock once, she fell fast asleep.

"Sango, hey wake up." She heard a voice call out to her, pulling her from the depths of slumber.

"Ten more minutes." She muttered thickly.

"Ten more minutes and you'll be late." The voice said a bit more thoughtfully. "Though you might be late even if you left now."

"What?" Sango sat up to see Miroku standing by her bed. "Late?"

Miroku nodded, smiling broadly. "I see you're up. Ready to go to class?"

"What time is it?" A thought just struck her. "And what are you doing in my dorm?" She heard giggles from the common room outside her door.

"Your friends let me in." The dark-haired boy looked around. "Nice dorm. When I was a freshman, I didn't get my own room."

"Poor dear." Sango said shortly. She climbed out of bed quickly, snatching the books she needed from the side table.

"Don't worry, the professor won't be too mad with you. She's pretty late herself at times."

"That's comforting." Sango replied, searching for her boots.

"They're under the side table."

"Oh." She found them. "Thanks."

"Ready?" He asked again, this time from the bedroom door. Sango nodded. "Then let's go." He held the door out wider for her, bowing. She rolled her eyes but stepped outside.

Ayame and Kagura sat in armchairs by the fireplace, grinning at her. "Kanna already left for class, but she's the one who let him in." Kagura explained.

"I bet she thought it was a riot." Sango said dryly.

"Probably, but you know my sister; she's quiet about everything, so you can't tell really." Kagura shrugged.

Sango nodded. "Well I suppose we'd better be going now, before anyone in the hall realizes you're the only male on an all-female floor."

Miroku chuckled, and opened the door. "I have a feeling they won't be too upset."

Sango scowled. "We'll see." She left the dorm with Miroku, not bothering to wave to her traitorous roommates. Kagura and Ayame only laughed again.

Sango felt rather uncomfortable, to tell the truth, walking with the junior. She felt a mix of emotions, between the urge to confess, the fear of embarrassment and rejection, and strangely, jealousy of her sister. 'I should have never made the offer to get them together.' She thought gloomily. 'Why would any guy want me after dating Kagome?' She sighed aloud, watching her breath mist in the cold morning air. With her frosty breath went her courage.

A strained silence seemed to last forever between them as they walked across the campus. Finally, it seemed Miroku couldn't take it any longer. He began, "You know, I never got to see you after the game."

"That's because Koga and I went out for a drink." Sango answered bleakly.

"Sango, are you all right?" Miroku halted her with a hand on her arm.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Sango replied, just a little bit defensively. She looked up to glare at him and found that she couldn't quite meet those violet eyes. Instead she concentrated on a button located on his jacket.

"Koga told me about the break-up." Miroku explained.

"What did he say exactly?" Sango narrowed her eyes, but still would not look up."All he said was that you'd be better off with someone worthwhile. He casually dates a lot of girls during the regular school year, and then some. But he felt you weren't the type to just fool around with. Or at least, that's how he explained it to me."

"At least you're honest, although a bit blunt." Sango responded to the explanation. She was beginning to feel a little irritated, but she couldn't figure out why. "Look, what's your point in all this?"

"Well I – I mean," Miroku hesitated, "you bargained for a counselor right?"

"About all that – look, just forget the deal. You can do whatever you want; I'm setting you free of having to help me out." She wrested her hand out of Miroku's grip. "So you don't have to pretend to be my friend anymore, all right?"

"What are you talking-"

"I mean it! So you can just go back to your socially elite upperclass friends, and never embarrass yourself again talking to a stupid, childish, naïve freshman!" She didn't know where the words were coming from, but she could seem to stop herself. Tears came to her eyes, and she ran off, dropping her books in her haste to leave. She didn't want him to see her cry. Not after this.

* * *

"Sango! Wait!" Miroku called to her, starting to go after her. But he paused, realizing she had dropped her notebooks. 'That silly girl, she really was upset wasn't she?' 

He looked around, noticing the curious onlookers to the very public scene."All right guys; you've had your show. Unless you want autographs, keep moving." Miroku was feeling rather tired and grumpy suddenly. 'It's probably the weather. But then again, it could have been the fact that Sango had run out like that.' He paused wistfully. 'I wish she'd listen once in a while.'

Kneeling down, he picked up the assorted notebooks, shaking his head. 'She's going to regret dropping these.'

Among themwere her biology notes. He flipped through the book, admiring her neat writing and beautifully made sketches. 'They're pretty good, even if they are frogs and cells.' he thought, feeling his grumpiness fade away.

A small slip of paper fell out of one of the pages of the notebook.Catching it before it fluttered to the leaf strewn sidewalk, he flipped back to the page where it had slipped out.

As he wasinsertingit back in the book he couldn't help but notice what was written on the paper -a short, written plan:

_**Plan to Get Koga and Ayame to Talk**_

_Suggest meeting in the commons (Old Campus green)_

_Times: 8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 11:00_

_Bring coffee/hot drink_

_Initiate conversation_

_Quietly leave when things go well_

Miroku smiled. That was altogether too much like Sango. 'She's always thinking about everyone else's life before her own.' He tucked the plan between the notebook's pages, and shut the book. Looking up towards the science block, he decided to himself.'Maybe it's time to change allthat.'


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **Thank you for so many reviews: 47 at the time I'm writing this – and to think I only expected 5! You all are toogreat!

Besides that, I do apologize for the relative shortness of the chapters; the problem is I don't really update by length, but rather by scene, as I think I've said before - but it all gets blurry after a while...It makes me mad too though, because I really want to know what happens next! (How ironic the author herself is clueless about the next chapter…)

So concluding with my note, I leave you with two important messages: enjoy and review, and this is not quite the last chappie either!

**Chapter Twelve**

Sango hurried through the freshly falling snow to Lawrance Hall.

As she approached the front doors, two other freshman were exiting. Ducking her head in acknowledgement, she darted between the two and entered the hall. The snow-powdered girl walked briskly through the entrance hall and up the main stairway, ignoring the usual bulletins of study sessions and intramural competitions. Books and sports were the last things on her mind at the moment. Finding the nearest cliff to jump off sounded to her like more of a concept to consider.

She unlocked her dormitory suite, and immediately went to her room, not bothering to check if anyone lounged in the common room.

'I can't believe I actually did that.' Sango thought gloomily once she had reached the tiny sanctuary of her room. 'He'll probably tell all his friends. I'll be the laughing-stock of the college by tomorrow.'

She slumped on her bed. 'What's more, I can't find my books.' Cringing, she clung to her stuffed tiger, Kirara. 'I am so dead.'

Her mind replayed the scene over and over in her head, not giving her any reprieve:

_…look, just forget the deal. You can do whatever you want; I'm setting you free of having to help me out." She wrested her hand out of Miroku's grip. "So you don't have to pretend to be my friend anymore, all right?" _

_"What are you talking-"_

_"I mean it! So you can just go back to your socially elite upperclass friends, and never embarrass yourself again talking to a stupid, childish, naïve freshman!"_

She winced at each word, as if feeling each asa physical blow. 'I can't believe I said all that.' Sango thought, squeezing Kirara tighter. 'Now if there were any chance of dating him, I just killed it.' She couldn't help but feel miserable at the conclusion. 'And where the hell are my books?'

It was as if her mind had blacked out after that last sentence, and the next thing she remembered was leaving the biology lab. 'I can't even remember if we had any homework.' A new idea left her stricken. 'Oh no, my biology lab report! I lost that too!'

"God..."She moaned into her tiger's fur.

"Hey Sango!" A knock on the door startled her from her bleak rehashing. She looked up blearily.

"What, Kagura?" She called back, as well as she could.

"Koga's at the door, and he says you forgot to meet him for lunch."

Sango blinked and sat up. 'That's right! I nearly forgot about my plan!'

"Sango?" Kagura asked again, seemingly impatient. Her next comment explained why. "I don't want to leave him out in the hallway long. If any of the girls see him and report it…"

"I know, I know.Let him in." Sango got out of bed, heading for the door. She was still clutching the plushie for comfort, but her mind was focused on the night's plans.

By the time Sango entered the common room, Koga hadmade himself comfortablein one of theplush armchairs by the fireplace. Sango nodded to him and sat in an adjacent one.

"So why didn't you meet me? I tried to call you, but you wouldn't answer your cell phone." Koga seemed relatively cheerful though, for a guy just stood up. It was extremely raretosee him in a truly bad mood.His easy smile widened when he saw the stuffed tiger. "What? Did Kirara miss me?"

"Ha, funny." Sango stroked Kirara's fur absently. "I really didn't mean to stand you up for lunch, but I completely forgot. Today has been hell."

His laughing eyes softened and he leaned back in the armchair. "Bad day huh? Everyone has one, I guess." Then he smiled again. "I remember last week, my car broke down in the middle of traffic on I-91. _And_ I was in the middle lane. I couldn't _believe_ my luck! Funny how it seems so hilarious now, and I was so pissed when I was there, having it happen to me. And the week before-"

Sango let Koga go on for a while, though not really listening as she should. It was a habit of Koga's to go off on a tangent about his life for an hour.

"Say Koga, you remember Ayame, right?" Sango interrupted her ex-boyfriend abruptly. Koga blinked, as if mentally changing gears.

"Yeah, sure, I remember her fine." He began. "We were childhood friends. You know the type; the kind where you're best buds, and then one moves away and you fall apart."

"Ayame remembers you too." Sango nodded, after Koga finished. "In fact she's going to school here."

"She is? Amazing; small world I guess." He smiled. "I saw her at the game; she's gotten pretty hot since we were kids." Suddenly, he sat up. "But she was like a sister back then, Sango."

"Except for the part where you proposed to her?" Sango asked slyly.

"That's low." He scolded. "I only did that to make sure she didn't start crying on me when she was moving away."

"Is that right?" Sango drawled, raising an eyebrow. Koga looked at her suspiciously.

"You're planning something between Ayame and me, aren't you?" He asked slowly.

"I just want you guys to catch up on old times." Sango toyed with her tiger.

"Bullshit."

"Now that's harsh, Koga." Sango made what she hoped to be a cute pout. Kagome did it so much better than she could. But it seemed to work.

Koga laughed. "Honey, you are too much. You'd think you'd be jealous of a new girlfriend, and here you are, trying to hook me up again."

"I think you're forgetting the reason we broke up, Koga." Sango murmured softly, heart plummeting with the thought. So far, he and Ayame were the only two that she had admitted her feelings to.

"How's that working out?" Koga asked. His voice sounded concerned.

"Not so well. I just yelled at him today." She sighed."I don't think it'll work out." Sango buried her head in the Kirara's furry body once again.

"Aw, honey; look if it'll help you any, maybe I could talk to this guy of yours, find out what his deal is." He offered.

"I don't think it'll help." Sango muttered.

"Well, I'll talk to Ayame at least."

Sango visibly brightened.

Koga warned quickly, "Just talk. I'm not promising I'll be interested."

She nodded, getting up to give him a tight hug. "Thank you, Koga."

"Anytime. I just don't like seeing pretty ladies all upset." Koga smiled up at her. "You'll be all right. Don't worry; I have a feeling that guy will come running to you even before the holidays start."

"How strong a feeling?" Sango tested him.

"Pretty damn strong." Koga told her confidently.

"All right, I'll remember you said that." She climbed back into her own armchair, curling up with Kirara tucked under her chair.

"So when do you want me to meet Aya?"

"Aya?" Sango raised an eyebrow.

"Nickname." Koga explained.

"I see. Why not tonight then? At 11:00. I'll bring you guys some coffee or hot chocolate, and-"

"Hot chocolate." Koga interrupted. "Bring hot chocolate."

"All right." She nodded. "I'll bring hot chocolate. Meet us in the Old Campus Green – that courtyard outside here. You guys can catch up then, and do whatever comes natural at the time."

"Whatever comes natural?" He questioned.

She shrugged. "I'll leave it up to you."

"How kind of you." Koga replied sarcastically.

"I know, isn't it?" She smiled. She looked up at the clock; nearly three. Ayame would be home soon. She didn't want the fateful reuninon so early. "So now that everything's taken care of, I'll walk you out."

"Don't worry about it." He yawned. "I'll take myself out."

"By the way, take a nap; you look tired." He got up and headed for the door. "See you later."

"See you." Sango waved lazily from the chair. He couldn't see her body, curled in the armchair, from the door; but he grinned at the lazy wave of her hand, just peeking out from behind the chair's back.

Sango muttered to herself after he left. "I'm not tired, not really."

Her mind continued the solo conversation. 'I'm just stressed. But I really should get to that western civ essay…'

But before she could start planningit,she fell deeply asleep, clutching Kirara.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **Hmm…not as many reviews for the last two chapters as previously, but that's alright! I know who's reading out there. For everyone who _did_ review (hint hint) thank you so much! You're the reason why I continue so rapidly. So without further fuss, let's get on with it…the summer's not getting any younger, after all -

By the way, for any Gundam Wing fans out there, I have a little one-shot story out: Spanish Guitar…go see it too! Arigato

**Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

Sango woke to the sound of excited female voices. As she blinked back sleep, she tried to make sense of the cacophony of noise. It seemed as if they were talking about something that happened, to someone, somewhere this morning. 'Sounds like the usual gossip to me,' she thought blearily, still not quite awake.

But as sleep fled, curiosity took its place, and she called out, "Hey guys, what's going on?"

"Oh look who woke up!" She heard Ayame exclaim from apparently nearby. Sango couldn't see a thing due to the armchair's direction, but she was feeling too comfortable to move, at least for the moment. "We thought you had died or something, sleeping so long."

"What do you mean? I was just taking a little nap before dinner." Sango replied defensively.

Laughter met her protest. "Why don't you take a look at what time it is, Sleeping Beauty?" Kagura suggested in a decidedly sarcastic tone.

Sango glanced up at the mantle, frowning as she read the time on the antique clock sitting there. "Are you sure that clock's working properly?"

"Of course it is." Kanna piped in. "Our grand-father fixed it himself, and he's an expert at that sort of thing."

"It can't be ten o'clock already." Sango was rather shocked by the sudden change in time. "I just went to sleep minutes ago." More laughter met her response.

"Well, enough about the spinster over here, getting her beauty sleep." Kagura leaned over the armchair's back to look at her roommate. Sango faked a swipe at her, and she laughed again. "You wanted to know what we were talking about?"

"Oh, right, that." Sango decided to be cruel right back. "I don't think I care anymore."

"Yes you do! You just can't stand that we're teasing you!" Kanna perched on the arm of the opposite chair; Ayame climbed into the chair itself.

"Well tell me then, if you're so cocky about it." Sango crossed her arms, sitting up.

"All right." Kagura moved to the fireplace, where she sat down on the floor between the two chairs, acting as comfortably as if she were in one of the chairs. Sango always rather envied her easy grace.

"Since I have everyone's attention now," her eyes were dead on Sango, who glowered in return, "I'll tell the whole story."

"Just get on with it." Kanna brushed off her sister's speech.

Kagura turned to glare at her. "Hey, who's telling the story here?"

"No more interruptions, all right?" Ayame sighed. She and Sango shared a look; this story-telling was going nowhere fast.

"Well," she began, scanning the common room. The girls were quiet, waiting on Kagura.

"I met the most amazing guy today." She grinned. Instantly the room was full of questions.

"Well, go on. What's his name?"

"Screw his name. What's he look like? Is he hot?"

"Well, obviously. I did say he is amazing, after all." Kagura scowled at Ayame's remark. "To answer your question, Sango, his name is Sesshou-"

"-maru?" Sango's mouth dropped. "What the hell is he doing here?"

"You know him?" Kagura looked slightly put out.

"Yeah I know him. My sister used to date his half-brother."

"Talk about relations." Ayame muttered. Kanna nodded, agreeing.

"Right…well, I met him today." Kagura finished lamely.

Questioning suddenly turned to Sango.

"So you know him. Is he hot?"

"Would you stop asking that?" Kagura glared at Ayame.

"Yeah, he's attractive in a model, godlike, kind of way." Sango shrugged. Attractiveness went only so far with her. However, there was another issue that disturbed her. "But he's also a bit older than you, Kagura."

Kagura shook her head. "So he's twenty-three. He's not that much older."

"Five years. Wow." Kanna pointed out.

"Mom was nearly ten years younger than dad, Kanna." Kanna's twin shot back.

The way this conversation headed made Sango suddenly very uncomfortable.

"Hey guys…back up. Kagura, you only just met the guy. Do you even know what he does for a living?" Sango asked, worried.

"Yeah, he said something about a family business while we were having lunch."

"You had _lunch _with him?" Ayame exclaimed.

Kagura nodded, the smirk now firmly planted on her face. "I was taking a friend to the airport in New York City – LaGuardia – and he was coming out. He stopped me to ask for directions but," the smirk widened to a grin, "I have the feeling that he only wanted to talk to me."

Sango snorted. "He probably only wanted directions." She supplied.

"What is so wrong with a guy checking me out, huh?" Kagura demanded. "All night, you've been here, questioning me about Sesshoumaru. Well you know what, I spent almost all day with him, and I can tell he's a good guy."

"Right, right." Sango sighed. 'How do you explain to a roommate that the guy she likes is a gangster?' she thought gloomily. Sango had no illusions about what the Inutaisho family did to afford the multi-million-dollar estate in Baltimore. All she had to do was find out where Inuyasha disappeared to every other weekend to know. And wasn't it obvious to everyone that Sesshoumaru was up to no good? Who else wears dark leather in summer and matching sunglasses? For God's sake, he _looked_ like a high-profile gang member.

"What's more, I have a date with him next weekend in NYC. He's taking me to dinner and then to a club."

"Is that so? Don't do anything unwise." Sango cautioned. Kagura fumed.

"What is up with the grandmotherly act? I'll be fine. He's a sweet guy."

Sango's eyes widened.

"Well, maybe a bit on the quiet, brooding side, but its cute. And he's so philosophical, and talented."

"With weapons, most likely." Sango muttered darkly, slouching further in the armchair.

"What was that, Sango?" Kanna inquired.

She looked up, startled. "Nothing. Just thinking to myself." Sango replied quickly.

"Hey, I don't care if he's Lao-Tzu or Aristotle. All I want to know is what this stud looks like." Ayame seemed frustrated. Kagura grinned, and Sango herself couldn't help smiling.

"A physical description would be helpful, sister." Kanna suggested in her normal, ethereal voice.

"Oh right, I forgot to mention that."

"Hurry up." Sango interrupted, finally glancing back up at the clock. "It's ten forty-five."

"Didn't you want me to meet some friend of yours at eleven, Sango?" Ayame asked.

Sango nodded. "That's right. Just a chat."

"Outside in the snow?" Kagura raised an eyebrow. "You guys are crazy."

"Description?" Ayame pressed.

"He's hot. Like, long silver hair, almost white really. He's got these gorgeous amber eyes. Really pale skin, like he doesn't get out much. But his hands are calloused like he fences or something."

"He sword-fights." Sango clarified.

"Right, fencing." Kagura opened her mouth to continue when Sango interrupted her again.

"No, he fights with a real blade; not those foils they use in fencing. He's also adept with guns and probably knives. I've seen them on him before."

"What the hell? Is he an assassin or what?" Ayame exclaimed.

"You could say that, although I'm not a hundred percent sure what he does."

"Guys, he is so not an assassin. I don't know what you were seeing, but Sesshoumaru's so quiet. People like that aren't assassins." Kagura waved her hands in an attempt to still argument.

"Have you ever met an assassin?" Sango asked quietly.

"No, but-"

"He's about five feet eight, pale, silver hair, amber eyes, like she said. He usually wears white, khaki, or black. Occasionally red, but he's definitely not the flashy type. Sunglasses are a must in his wardrobe. He's filthy rich, and he has a kid."

"He has a what? So he's married?" Ayame gasped at Sango's new information.

"No, she's adopted." Kagura tried to wrest the conversation back to herself.

"She's about ten." Sango nodded at Ayame. "So she's not his kid."

"Her name's Rin." Kagura grinned. "He showed me a picture of her in his wallet.

"Did he now? I suppose he is softening up." Sango highly doubted the cold older brother would ever melt, but he was certainly acting oddly towards Kagura. 'Maybe he's supposed to assassinate her or something.' The thought sent chills down her spine.

"Just be careful around him, Kagura."

She nodded. "Of course. I know my way around men, unlike someone I know."

Sango got up to find her winter jacket. "What's that supposed to mean, huh?"

"You couldn't figure out if a guy was interested in you even if he came up and begged to go out with you."

"I'm not that bad!" Sango objected, finding the jacket in her bedroom.

"Yes you are." Three voices chorused in unison when she returned to the common room.

"Whatever. I'm not the one with guy problems anyway."

"Are you sure about that?" Kagura raised an eyebrow.

"I'm too busy. Academics and all." She shrugged.

"You need a life." Ayame had gone for her jacket as well.

"I have a great one."

"All right, then you need to tell Miroku that you want to jump his bones."

"I _what_?" Sango gasped. Kagura laughed at her gaping expression.

"Oh, that was priceless; the look on your face. I'm not kidding through. It's obvious you two want each other. The tension's always so high when you two are studying together."

"Whatever; I'm out of here. You ready, Aya?"

"Ready." Ayame tilted her head curiously. "Aya, huh? I haven't heard that nickname in years."

"Let's just say this meeting will bring back a lot of memories." Sango smiled.

* * *

Post-note: This one took longer than the rest due to field hockey season starting…plus I really need to get my summer work…that stuff is due in two weeks! Gah! Cya next chapter! 


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **Right now, I'm in New Haven, the college town around Yale, so things might be a bit hectic for a while…I'll try to keep updating as soon as possible though, promise! So let's get back to the story. Also, I've got a couple other fics starting up; check those out too while you're here. Thanks for reading so far, and enjoy! Reviews are adored.

**Chapter Fourteen**

* * *

Sango shivered slightly in the freezing night air. The snow had paused earlier, but before she left the hall, she heard reports of more snow arriving before the morning. She checked her watch; 11:18 p.m. 'Kouga and Ayame should be catching up by now,' she thought, smiling to herself. She shifted the two cups of hot chocolate in her hands, feeling a distinct sensation of burning and freezing simultaneously. 'I better get these cups to the happy couple quickly, before I burn my hands off.'

Sango left through the side gate of the Old Campus, the site of most of the freshman dormitories, and crossed the street, not really bothering to check for oncoming cars on the one way street at eleven on a snowy night.

She paused at a walkway into the New Haven Green, the location of the little rendezvous she had planned for her friends. Squinting into the darkness, she searched the nearby area for Kouga or Ayame. She couldn't see them anywhere in the nearby vicinity.

'Strange; I know I left them near the entrance. They probably went on a walk.' She sighed, and headed for the bench where she had left the two with an excuse to look for hot drinks.

The bench was empty, as she had noticed before, but she sat there anyway, waiting for the two to return, drinks at the ready. As she waited, she thought about the initial reaction between her friends.

_Sango led Ayame up the path, diverting her attention with gossip, making her distracted until the last minute. They turned the final bend in the path and the bench was in view – as well as the male occupying it._

_"Aya?" Kouga's eyes widened as if the woman in front of him was not at all like he imagined. _

_She nodded, smiling. He broke out in a wide grin. "God, it's really you, isn't it?"_

"_Hi there, stranger." She replied, offering a hand._

"_Hiya back." He pulled her to him, rising at the same time, and hugged her tightly. "I thought I'd never see you again."_

"_I didn't think you'd remember me." She said lightly. However, her face betrayed her pretense._

"_Aw, hun, of course I do. How could I forget a cute face like that?" He held her face in his hands and they smiled at each other._

"_Hey guys, I'm going to get some hot drinks now. Be right back." Sango announced. They seemed surprised at her voice, forgetting that she was still there._

"_Right." Ayame replied vaguely._

"_We'll be around." Kouga added, equally vague._

_Sango hid her smile as she headed off, in search of a late-night shop._

'Well, I wish them the best of luck.' Sango thought cheerfully. A cold breeze blew past her, whipping her scarf. She shivered again.

"Looks like someone needs to get warm." Sango heard a voice nearby say cheerfully. She started at the sound of the voice, then cringed. It was the voice of the last person she wanted to see.

Miroku approached her on the path. He paused in front of her. "Need company?" He asked, smiling. Sango couldn't bear to meet his face out of embarrassment.

"Sure." She murmured, scooting to the side to allow him a seat. Miroku sat down, woolen long coat brushing her legs. Even the simple touch made her blush harder.

"Is something the matter?" He asked, watching her.

"Besides the cold, not really." She answered.

"What about the drinks? Is there a reason there are two of them, or are you just extremely cold?"

She smiled at the question. "They _were_ for Kouga and Ayame, but I can't find them now, so I'm waiting for them to return."

"Those two? I saw them over at Saybrook's courtyard when I was heading out. My guess is you won't see them again tonight."

"Oh." She reddened at the hidden implication. "I see they don't waste time."

"No, they're rather gifted at being direct unlike others I know." Again, an implication. Sango decided to ignore this one.

"Is that so?" she inquired.

"Yes." Miroku turned to her, voice turning serious. Sango didn't like the change. "In fact, that's been something I need to talk to you about. Sango, I-"

"Want some hot chocolate?" She offered, interrupting him. She held the cup to him, still steaming despite being bought over ten minutes ago.

"Ah, yeah, sure." He took the proffered cup. "Thanks."

She took a sip from the other cup. Delicious. 'Pity they missed it.' She thought smugly.

"I better start heading back to my hall then." Sango got up, taking the cup with her, but Miroku caught her arm.

"Not so fast, Sango. I think we need to talk." He looked up at her earnestly. She glanced at his arm, gripping hers, and looked away.

"No, I don't think so. Your part with me is over, remember?" Her heart twinged at the remark.

"It's not like that!" Miroku yelled, frustrated. "And for God's sake would you look at me? I'm tired of being avoided." He finished in a softer, lower voice.

"What do you want from me, Miroku?" She asked, in an even softer voice. She wouldn't look at him, despite his request. She didn't think she could hold back the tears then.

"I want – I want you, just you." He softened his grip on her arm. "I love you, Sango."

The snow began to fall again; thick flakes that floated to the earth through the frail cover of empty tree limbs. They fell slowly, seeming to mark the several minutes that passed in silence in the park.

Sango didn't answer, too surprised to respond. She felt several things at once. It was similar to earlier with the hot chocolate, but this time the feeling was more unsettling, and more complicated. She was overjoyed; she was sad; she was angry; but most of all, she was very deeply confused.

"W-What? Why?" she asked, bewildered. She had finally turned towards him.

"Why?" he raised an eyebrow, now seemingly amused. Yet his eyes showed an unusual intensity. "I don't know why. Maybe it's the way you're so beautiful; the way your hair flows like dark silk along your back, the way your brown eyes get so wide when you're surprised, or narrow when you're mad. Or maybe it's the way you slap me when I'm teasing you; the way you call me a pervert when I grab your ass; the way I can't resist getting a rise out of you just so you'll concentrate on me and not Kouga, or some other guy." He looked away at that point, seemingly to control some hidden emotion.

"Now that I think of it, there's a thousand different reasons why I love you, but it all adds up to the same feeling." He smiled at her. "Does that answer your question?"

She nodded, dumbly. Things were moving so quickly, in a direction she had never even imagined. "How long?" was the next question out her mouth before she could stop herself. Having a feeling she might linger a while, she rested the cup on the bench beside Miroku, but remained standing.

"I've been interested since I saw that cute round thing poking around in her trunk."

She glared at him and he grinned. "It's the honest truth." He protested. "But you never gave me a chance. Before I knew it, you were pushing your sister on me."

"Then why did you agree to the deal?" she pulled the hood of her coat over her head, finally realizing the snow was falling. Miroku seemed to ignore the snow, at ease with the powder as he was with anything in nature.

"I wanted to be closer to you." He replied simply. She raised an eyebrow, and he shrugged. "You wouldn't give me the time of day, labeling me a pervert and all. So I thought that if I agree to be a mentor I would slowly manage to win you over."

"You mean seduce me." She interpreted suspiciously.

"At first, yeah, it was to seduce you, I suppose." He smirked mischievously. But his smirk slowly faded to a wistful smile. "But then, before I knew it, I just wanted to be with you. I thought, for a while, that I could be content just being a mentor if it meant I would have your undivided attention."

"But then Kouga asked me out." Sango was beginning to understand.

Miroku nodded. "Yeah, he asked you out, before me." He looked suddenly suspicious for a moment. "Did he make you do anything with him?"

Sango considered telling him it was none of his business, but found that she couldn't. Somehow, somewhere, the anger she had previously felt was fading.

"No. All we did was kiss. That's all." She admitted. "I-I didn't feel strong enough for him." She blushed, but managed not to look away.

Miroku's his voice grew hesitant, yet insistent. "I know it's too much to ask you now to love me – but would you go out on one real date with me? Test the waters? Please?" His eyes watched hers, pleading, honest.

"What about Kagome?" She asked, suddenly remembering that the man confessing his love to her was dating her sister.

"I guess she hasn't told you yet. She dumped me." His face was rather calm though, despite delivering that statement.

"Really? I don't think she's ever broken up with anyone on her own before. Usually she talks me into breaking up the relationship for her." Sango was curious about that. Then another thought struck her. Did the break-up have something to do with Sesshoumaru's sudden arrival in the northeast? Or maybe she was just being overly suspicious. She was going to have to talk to Kagome about this later. "Did she mention why she was breaking up?"

"It had something to do with her ex-boyfriend, but I honestly didn't listen too hard to her excuse. She had been excited, very excited, and she told me-" Miroku paused, straining to remember the conversation. "- she told me 'I have to save my ex-boyfriend from making a stupid mistake. I'm sorry, but I can't lead you on any further…I'm still in love with him.' There was more, but it's all lost now."

Sango smiled. She had figured it out, or at least part of it. "What did she mean by mistake?"

"Why don't you call her, _cherie_, instead of racking my old brain?" He smirked.

"You're not much older that me; three years or so."

"I'm still older than _you_, so that gives me rights." He teased, stepping closer.

"What rights?" Sango crossed her arms. She looked up at him questioningly.

"The right to do this," He leaned over, capturing her lips in a tender, yet chaste kiss. Sango didn't push him away, but relaxed, moving her arms to around his neck. As she moved, Miroku held her close, around the waist, hands meeting at the small of her back.

"A safe first kiss, as ratings go." Sango critiqued after he straightened.

"Safe? I was hoping for amazing, or at least good." Miroku said disbelievingly.

"You don't get good or better unless it's open-mouthed." Sango informed him.

He chuckled, leaning down to brush her lips once again. "I'm sure I could work on it." He kissed her again. This time the moment lasted a while, the two forgetting everything in the moment of the kiss. The snowy landscape around them just seemed to blanket them from the outside world, isolate the couple in their sensations. It was a while before they parted again.

"You see," Sango murmured, hovering near Miroku's lips, "that's an amazing kiss."

"Agreed." He seemed a bit dazed himself.

Several kisses later, Miroku seemed to remember where they were. "You know, maybe we should head inside now."

"You think so?"

"I don't think thought has anything to do with it." He replied. Sango laughed.

"Sure, it is chilly out here." She said it in some surprise. During the conversation, she had rather forgotten how cold it was.

The snow was falling more heavily now, covering the park in white powder. It was as if they had stepped into another world, a winterland. Miroku walked Sango back to her hall. On the way, they admired the suddenly changed landscape, beautiful in its alien nature.

As they arrived at Lawrance Hall, Miroku had another comment, "You know, Sango, you never answered whether you'd go out on that date."

"I didn't?" She stopped at the entrance, turning back to him.

"Well not verbally." He shrugged. Sango blushed, remembering the earlier moment in the park. 'Well, actually, several moments.' She reminded herself guiltily.

"Why don't you try rephrasing the question?"

"Rephrasing?" Miroku looked confused.

"Say what you really want to ask me." She offered.

"If I did that, you'd slap me into tomorrow." He shook his head, smiling.

"It's already tomorrow." She noted.

"That only makes it a longer journey into the next tomorrow."

Sango rolled her eyes. "I promise I won't slap you, all right? I just want to know what's on your mind when you see me. That one-date offer just seemed too…"

"much?" Miroku tried to finish, his smile slipping a bit. Sango shook her head.

"No, no. Too innocent. The Miroku I know has a more devilish scheme up his sleeve. If I really go out on this date with you, I want to know some implications here."

"All right." Miroku paused, thinking. After almost a minute, he knelt on one knee, falling onto the fresh snow. "Sango." He took her hand. "Will you do me the honor of bearing my child?"

She stared at him, too shocked for words. Finally she laughed, long and hard.

"You are so lucky I promised not to slap you." She replied. "Because that one merited a grand hit over the fence to next week."

Miroku smirked, rising to his feet. "I do what I can." He said modestly.

"What I will do is go out on that date with you." She nodded. "But one date, and it's, as you said, 'to test the waters.' I need to be sure I can date a pervert like you."

"Is that so?" His eyes twinkled mysteriously as he smiled. This time she smiled with him. As she gazed at him, a new thought struck her. Should she admit her love for him like he did to her?

'Nah, let's leave that for another conversation. We can't let him get too cocky now, can we?' she thought to herself. She half-turned to walk up the steps.

"I better head ba-" her words were cut off by another kiss from Miroku, who had moved so quickly she didn't have time to react. As with his previous kisses, Sango didn't, couldn't resist.

"Sango," Miroku began insistently after the kiss, "before you go, I have to know. Do you – feel anything for me? I don't want to force you into dating me if you don't want to."

Sango faltered. "I really have to go inside, Miroku." She turned to walkinsideand he grabbed her arm, not forcefully, but enough to make her hesitate again.

"No more, Sango." He frowned at her.

"No more what?"Her eyes widened.

"No moredelays, avoidance. Just say what you feel; stop holding back and stop running away." He sighed. "I'm tired ofonly seeing your back when I ask you these questions."

'He's right.' She thought, nodding. 'No more holding back.'

Miroku waited while she thought, his already downcast eyes reflecting the words heexpected to hear.

"I-I love you, Miroku." She confessed, surprised at having to say it so soon.

"You do?" Miroku seemed surprised. His violet eyes widened in a echo of Sango's earlier dumbfounded expression. Obviously he had thought his affection one-sided. 'But then again,' Sango mused, 'I've always been horrible at expressing love.'

"Good night, Miroku." She leaned up to press lips against his. "Don't forget, you're studying with me tomorrow."

"I'm always here to serve the freshman. Any dilemma you may have, I'll solve." He smiled at her, a soft smile that lit up his eyes more than it affected his lips.

"I think you caused more this year than you solved." She headed up the steps to the hall. "Good night, Miroku."

"_Bonne nuit, ma cherie_." He replied, bowing.

Sango closed the door on the scene, smiling brightly. Her mind was whirling, but suddenly, the most random thought floated to the surface.

"Oh no, the hot chocolate!" she exclaimed aloud. They had forgotten it on the park bench. Along with all her plans tonight, they had gotten left by the wayside by Miroku's confession. It seemed college life was just too unpredictable.

'But I like it that way.' Sango grinned and returned to her dorm.

- END -

**A/N: **Hmm…I'm thinking of an epilogue; something that involves Kagura and Sesshoumaru, or even better, all the couples in a final summary. Tell me what you think! Write any suggestions or comments in the reviews section and I will be glad to receive them. Thanks for being a wonderful audience!


	15. Chapter 15

All righty guys, I'm currently in the process of writing the sequel, due to popular demand. This one is named "Spring Fever" – look it up under my author name. And don't forget to review! Thanks once again and always!


End file.
